Chiefs of the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw are in solidarity with Phyllis Webstad and the Orange Shirt Society in distancing themselves with come comments made on social media by the Freedom 2022 convoy.
They are rejecting calls for a worldwide walkout organized by Pat King and the convoy.
A release says that a Facebook post was shared yesterday declaring today Orange Shirt Day and calling for a walk-out of school-aged children in support of the truckers convoy and wearing orange shirts to represent Every Child Matters.
In a release the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw said the freedom convoy has aligned itself with anti-indigenous rhetoric and behaviors and does not reflect the movement of the Orange Shirt Every Child Matters, nor do the statements and the representations being made by this group on social media, have their consent.
The Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw is comprised of four Secwepemc communities: Tsq’escen (Canim Lake), T’exelc (Williams Lake), Stswecem’c-Xgat’tem (Dog Creek-Canoe Creek), and Xat’sull-Cmetem (Soda Creek-Deep Creek)